Author Michael

When eyes are smilin’

Michael 10 Comments

A chance encounter reminded me of an old post here that led to a new post there. It’s been a couple of weeks since I visited the walk in wobble out same day surgery center at the local big time hospital. It was on the way in that I had my mind’s eye opened.

Almost exactly 8 years ago (March 30, 2017 to be exactly exact) I posted about The Hi Guys. What could have happened all this time later to remind me of that ancient text. A near exact (there’s that word again) encounter as the one that led to the post. Back then it was a grocery store, this time it was a hospital. Both life saving institutions in their own way. But what was it. It was the greeting and the smile of an absolutely complete stranger that turned a day of anticipated dread into one of realizing the world really isn’t such a bad place after all. (Except for Washington, DC. There it’s the pits and will for always and ever and/or until January 2029 be so.)

Anyway, to see what that was, take a look at The Hi Guys and see how a simple nod or hello can become a powerful incentive to making someone smile and maybe, just maybe making their day.
While you’re there, sign up to join the ROAMcare community. It’s the only way you’ll get to see what tomorrow’s Friday Flashback will be.

HiGuys

Happy Things

Michael 15 Comments

I had some of the snarkiest content ready for this week when I decided I didn’t want to add to the spectacle. If you haven’t yet figured out Washington is now full of parasitic nutcases, nothing I can say is going to change that clearly wrong thinking you are holding on to.

Instead, I am going to heed my own advice and make me happy. It was in a ROAMcare post from last fall when we wrote, “The most positive thing you can do to offer happiness to someone is to be happy for yourself and to be happy with yourself.” It is in that spirit that I offer you that which made me happy last week and maybe you will gain a smile from it too.

You know that two weeks ago I had surgery on my arm and for a couple days, if I wanted my arm to go anywhere with me it came along in a wheelbarrow because like a newborn, it had to be carried everywhere it went. I am happy to say since early last week I have regained all movement and flexibility in that appendage. I may never be able to throw a curve ball again but I never could anyway so there’s that. I still am limited to lifting nothing heavier than a small hard bound novella but I expect by next month I should be able to tote around a Stephen King novel.

I was at a meeting Thursday and as we standing about and talking someone asked now that spring is coming, if we were plants or flowers, what we do to prepare ourselves for the new season. I didn’t even have to think about it. If I was a plant, I’d tear myself up from the roots, toss me in the compost pile, mix me around a little, and take another shot at things. I think everybody probably could stand to have a little overly dramatic self-rejuvenation project and come out the better for it.

Yesterday I made a fabulous breakfast for my weekly Sunday ‘meal of any kind’ with the daughter. Little breakfast slider sandwiches with eggs, bacon, sausage, cheese, onions, bell pepper, spiced with chili powder, smoked paprika, and (hold on now) cinnamon and baked together in sweet Hawaiian rolls. Did I mention they were delicious.

It’s been two weeks since Jingle went to doggie heaven. Two days ago, we were introduced to a new member of the family. Daughter said his spirit said it was the right dog who came along at the right time. Meet Gabby.

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In last week’s ROAMcare Uplift post we wrote about the power of positive thought. I think this worked out pretty well.

Have a great week. We’ll talk again soon.

Positively Impossible

Michael 11 Comments

Every day can bring new reasons to be positive, and to connected with yourself and the world. Unfortunately, every day can also bring myriad opportunities to confirm the world really has gone bat shit crazy.

Take a look at the screen shot I’ve posted below. This innocent looking post violates Facebook’s terms of use or service or appropriateness or whatever they want call it. When I clicked in the “click here to find out how we arrived at this decision” the answer is, “this post does violates our community standards.”

I’ve had issues before with anti-social media. I’ve posted literally hundreds of posts for ROAMcare with artwork I’ve generated myself to have several of them removed because of suspicions of being AI generated without declaration. I’ve had posts removed because they included links to websites and therefore are spam and I’m trying to “trick” people into clicking to potentially dangerous sites.

So far, Instagram and Blue Sky are the only sites that haven’t come up with some stupid excuse for removing or limiting any posts.  Give them time.

Now, here’s the most annoying part of all this. We at ROAMcare make nothing from the site or posts. Nothing we do is monetized. We don’t ask people to for access, we sell no ad space. We don’t even ask people to “buy us a cup of coffee.” Everything we do is because we truly believe in what we post and publish and want to spread awareness that it is possible to be enthused about life.

Take the blog post that this post is about, Positively Powerful. A thoughtful discussion about the power of positive thought. Am much as I believe every word that we printed, I get increasingly discouraged by the blatant double standards of the social media world. Unfortunately, most of the outside traffic to our site is generated by the Facebook posts. Oh well.

Perhaps you can look at Positively Powerful or any of the other posts and clue me in on what community would be offended by our work.  While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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just stuff

Michael 19 Comments

I’m not in much mood to write a post today. And I suppose I could just not write anything. Nobody has a paid subscription guaranteeing a publishable post. I’m on no program mandating so many words written per week. But because I’m a trooper (and. It just another pretty face), you’re getting a post whether you want one or not.

There has been so much going on since last Monday (and I’m not even considering what Dingy Donny, J(ust) D(umb), and the South African American immigrant were up to) . I already told you the biggest news, the loss of little Jingle. When Jingle first went to live with the daughter he was more than a handful. It wasn’t too terribly long before he was acting only like a little terror and a few more months until he because a reasonably well-behaved canine gentleman. He will be missed.

Thing  Two also was brought up in Thursday’s post. That was an already planned procedure that took way too long. It was a simple enough thing. A little quickly rerouting of a vein in my arm. We got to the hooray at 9am and left at 5:15 that afternoon for a roughly hour long procedure. To facilitate the actual surgery I was given a nerve block which rendered my arm absolutely useless for 2 days. Not just numb, but dead weight hanging off my shoulder. I had to carry my arm around in a sling or I’d leave it behind.

Item the third has been this headache I’ve been carrying around for the last 4 days. I used to be subject to terrible vascular headaches. Nothing helped. Somewhere along the way, while is was researching something at the hospital, I came across an old article (older than me even) that described very low doses of an old, old antidepressant (which was probably newfangled when the article was written) to treat headaches. I convinced my PCP it made sense to try it and if it didn’t make sense to her I knew a lot of other doctors I could go to. (These were really annoying headaches and I was not above threatening taking my medical business elsewhere.) Well…to make a long story short (I know, too late), the pills worked. Until Thursday.

And finally, I really want some ice cream.

There. Now you have your post, and in the process I actually feel a little better. It’s odd becuase there weren’t a lot of positive things mentioned and that’s a sure-fire way of feeling calmer and at peace. (Is that sure-fire or sure-fired?) Oddly enough, we wrote about feeling calm and at peace in last week’s Uplift. Take a look at Location, location, location.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

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Re-discovering my center

Michael 10 Comments

There is an old cartoon, so old I can’t find a copy even on the Internet and you can find almost everything on the Internet. It is set in what I suppose is a yoga studio and features a croissant, a Danish, and a donut. The instructor at the head of the room is saying, “Find your center.” I always felt sorry for the poor little donut. And this week I empathize to the highest degree with him.

It’s not been a good week. Tuesday I had some minor vascular surgery done on my arm. Not difficult, not painful. the used a nerve block that make my arm something just to drag around for 2 days. Fortunately I had a tight sling that kept it from any random movement that I might not have been aware of.

Unfortunately this all took place at the same time poor Jingle, the daughter’s beloved tri-paw, lost his battle to bone cancer. There will be more about him int he coming weeks. He was doing very well after the amputation and chemo last September. About a month ago a new tumor appeared, this time going along his spine. He kept being him, happy and puppy-like despite being close to 10 years old, not young but not yet ready for retirement. He went on his own terms, peacefully. He just picked the wrong day to do it. A day or two longer and I’d have been able to provide more help than just comfort. But a day or two longer might have meant a not as peaceful goodbye for him.

And so we go on. Yesterday’s Uplift was about finding your center, looking for the calm and peace that you know is inside you. Take a look at Location, location, location.

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What I Did Last Summ….er Last Week

Michael 14 Comments

Like I don’t have enough to do this week, now I have another chore to complete. Our favorite South African American has decreed all those working for the government will report today what they did last week or face the consequences. I suppose that means being confronted with the bright red chain saw some third world dictator, err some foreign dignitary gifted him. Considering I work and pay taxes I take that to mean that I work for the government, so I will comply and not face the consequences.

Monday I did 8 hours reviewing charts then work on the first draft for next week’s Uplift post and did the final proof on last week’s.

Tuesday I participate in a morning program even though I said last year (at about this same time of year even) that I was through with morning speaking engagements. After that I took some personal time and went grocery shopping. (The “fresh” asparagus looked like it had come from a can and the eggs are still expensive. (Why is that Dingy Donny? I thought you were going to fix everything in Day 1.)) ( putz)

Wednesday I spent the day doing ROAMcare work including Moments of Motivation for March and selecting last week’s flashback post for Friday. I also did my part of the review for what will be this week’s Uplift post. In the evening I spoke at a venue so far out there that I swear the GPS got lost. At one point Siri told me “Take the next left, I think. If you see a barn with a cow painted on its side, you’ve gone too far.”

Thursday was another chart review day and in the evening another meeting. And yes, I told myself no more 3 programs in one week, but that will probably go the same way as the no more morning speaking.

Friday I did laundry and housework because I picked up a shift at the pharmacy on Saturday and I was running out of clean socks and- never mind.

Saturday I worked, but you already know that.

Sunday I went to church and to lunch with my daughter. (He won’t care about that but somebody has to pray for us and it’s not going to be  the “D.C.Christians.”)

I hope that meets with his approval. I wonder what Dimwit Donald’s list looks like. Monday, golf, Tuesday golf, Wednesday yell at Maine governor, Thursday golf, Friday tanning booth.)

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Clearly I’m working too hard.  Need to slow down. And wouldn’t you know it, there is an Uplift post that can help!

In last week’s Uplift, Life in the Slow Lane, we revisited our plan for daily resolutions and how they can keep us centered and present to ourselves. You should take a look.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

I need to slow down

Michael 1 Comment

This week has been a doozy for me. First I’ve been trying to work in as many antiquated, quaint expressions (like doozy) into my communications as I can and boy has that been a doozy! (I really need to research more antiquated, quaint expressions.) And so has been my schedule a dooz- … you get the idea.

Tuesday I did a breakfast program, yesterday evening a short speech, tonight a presentation. All three different topics, different audience types, different venue types. And there was work and shopping and a doctor appointment packed around them. It really was hard to find some time to call mine and ready myself for the onslaughts and/or decompress from the activity.

Being busy is not an excuse for not taking care of yourself. Especially not taking care of yourself beyond the physical necessities. We all have some days that the schedule blows up on and find ourselves losing on the self care front. That’s usually not so bad until you start stringing days like that together.

I used to string weeks like that together and when I finally came up for air, I was not a fun person to be with. (Nor a pretty sight I would imagine.) I found a solution. If you were reading me in January and heeded my suggestion to check out the Uplift post from New Year’s Day, you read about it. In yesterday’s Uplift, Life in the Slow Lane, we revisited our plan for daily resolutions and how they can keep us centered and present to ourselves. You should take a look.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

Uplift 2024-15

Bright lights, little city

Michael 9 Comments

About a week ago I was on my one home an evening. It wasn’t very late but it was very dark. The weather was cold but clear, remarkably clear, and dark, remarkably dark. I was north of home in my little suburban hamlet heading south on a classic dark and windy country road.

It was dark enough I needed high beam lights to see what lurked ahead. It was clear enough I could easily see oncoming traffic as we both neared the many twists and curves in the road. And all concerned politely reduced their lights it low beam lights before making the bend and blinding the oncoming driver. You gotta love people who know driving involves more than “put it in gear and go.”

As I got closer to town, the road straightened and lights mounted high above nicely illuminated the roads, eliminating the need for the super bright high beams. Another mile or so brought some roadside businesses and their lights added to the general brightness. 

It was then I saw the blur of white some distance ahead, heading north on the now almost ruler straight road through a little town-let. The blur grew and grew in size and brightness until it became clear that it was ye olde basic pick ‘em up truck with mutilple headlights, fog lights, and even lights across the bully bar over the top of the cab blazing while barreling merrily along, presumably by a backward hat wearing, plaid shirted, scraggly bearded truckster.

There ought to be a law addressing night time driving particularly discussing lights and illumination. Oh wait, there is, actually are. There ought to be people enforcing them.

It’s almost become SOP, ignore the laws that are inconvenient, or the regulation. Throw out the “way it’s always been done,” “doesn’t hurt anyone,” “anyone with common sense would know that.” Do what is right. 

Have you ever wondered why I’m so hard on backward hat wearing, plaid shirted trucksters? Little Rosemary is not the first little sports car I’ve owned. I had once had a 1979 Mazda RX7, the second year it was offered. It was about the same size as the later to come Miata but rounder. The year was 1985 and it was stopped at a red light where a large, jacked up pickup truck driven by a (you guessed it) backward hat wearing, plaid shirted, scraggly bearded, beer bellied amateur truckster did not stop at a red light and literally ran up and over the back of the low-slung car. Oh yes, there are laws.

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We all want to live long lives, maybe even live long lives in love. If you’d like to see what we had to say about long lasting love, pop on over and give But do you love me  a quick read. While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

 

Golden Oldies

Michael 17 Comments

I have an anniversary coming up. A silver anniversary. Rosemary and I will be together for 25 years this spring. I don’t bring her up too often in this blog, but you might remember me speaking of Rosemary on a couple occasions. She is my little red roadster, and is the longest adult relationship I’ve had.

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Have you been with any one, or any thing, for any appreciable length of time. We did an Uplift post at ROAMcare on long-lasting love. I was inspired to write it when I read an article in the local paper about how scientists have “figured out” what makes some relationships last. Actually the article had little to do with the headline. It was really a discussion about some scientific studies that are tracking the neural responses in long term relationship couples, but its bend, as is with much of what will pop up in the news in February, is toward romantic love, passion, and sexual attraction.

Considering we hadn’t read anything in mainstream media about the other 6 kinds of love, we thought we needed to point out that there are other long term relationships out there. Some even invovling people, like normal, regular, everyday people!

If you’d like to see what we had to say, pop on over and give But do you love me a quick read. While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

Uplift 2024-14

Did you know

Michael 10 Comments

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. There have been 3 airplane crashes plus a helicopter in 8 days and 2 runway incursions tossed in for good behavior all starting within 24 hours of air traffic controllers being “offered” 8 month severance in exchange for leaving their positions within the next 7 days. The chairpersons of the National Archives, Federal Elections Commission, and National Labor Relations Board, the entirety or near entirety of the FBI cyber security division, US Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Kennedy Center board of trustees have been removed from their offices (although some are fighting those orders). And all of your social security data has been turned over to a group of 20 year old computer programs working for an unelected, non-vetted, immigrant. (I wonder if anybody ever called him African American?)

Also in the news this week, a measles outbreak in Texas, a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas, and the flu at its highest incidence level since 2015.

The stuff in the first paragraph you knew. That was all over the news. The stuff in the second paragraph…show of hands please for who know about them.

I’m not sure if there’s a moral to that story but it’s made me really tired. I suppose I should try to get rid of the anger and bitterness. Forget about the ironies like sending ICE into the Navajo Nation. Life might easier to forget the anger. But it wouldn’t be better.

Have a good week.

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If you’re ready to give your bitterness, even if you can’t find much to celebrate about the world around you, start with celebrating yourself. Make America Kind Again. Check out Celebrate You for all the details.

While you’re there, consider joining the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.